Supreme Zeitgeists
Zeitgeists are echoes in the Astral of the intense focus and attention on some particular event. They are no more than tangles of thoughts, ideas, and emotions, but they developed into minds of their own, thoughts thinking about themselves. They are tightly connected to history, the worlds and peoples who first thought them, and can discuss little else. During a seance, participants can attempt to learn from them, but they are frustratingly inconsistent and incoherent. Thoughts may come from myriad languages, including those have been dead for ages—or even come from some other world entirely, completely foreign to you. The GM may allow skill checks to persuade a zeitgeist to be more helpful, or to parse the babbling and unknown languages, but this occurs solely at his discretion. Often times, the zeitgeists simply are not capable of communicating anything useful. Otherwise, the only useful thing to be done during a seance is for an empath to forge contracts with zeitgeists. Below are descriptions of what happens when one does. Zeitgeist Descriptions The introduction to zeitgeists is their name and epithet, along with a description of the zeitgeist and its origins. The descriptions vary from histories to quotes stated during or about the event. Associated Events: '''Each zeitgeist reflects a singular event, but history’s tendency to repeat itself reinforces and strengthens the zeitgeist when similar events occur. Sometimes, the zeitgeist does not even represent the first such event; some great development in an area subsumed any previous zeitgeist. Empaths may be able to learn of such events during seances, even from zeitgeists they do not or cannot contract with. '''Compulsion: '''Empaths contracted with the zeitgeist must obey this compulsion or risk psychic enervation. '''Goal: '''Zeitgeists whose goal an empath has completed also grant her a spirit surge as part of her contract. '''Seance Boon: '''An empaths gains this boon, applying her spirit bonus to a pair of skills, when she contracts with the zeitgeist. If she has the collective seance ability, the members of her collective also gain it, adding her spirit bonus to their skill checks. '''Spirit Power: '''An empath contracted with the zeitgeist gains this spirit power. The spirit powers of lesser zeitgeists are treated as lesser spirit powers, the spirit powers of intermediate zeitgeists are treated as intermediate spirit powers, and so on. '''Psionic Powers: '''An empath contracted with the zeitgeist treats these powers as powers known (excepting those above her maximum power level). '''Athame, the First Falling The fall of angels is a rare, awful event, full of pain and resentment and bitter disappointment on all sides. It captures the imaginations of mortals, as well, and it may well be that Athame reflects more the stories mortals imagine for these fallen than any particular historical event. Still, her epithet indicates she is the first to fall, which may have happened so long ago that no record of the event exists. Associated Events: 'The falling of an angel. '''Compulsion: '''Do not do anything you do not wish to because you are “supposed” to. '''Goal: '''Save or revive someone evil and dangerous, but personally important to you. '''Seance Bonus: '''Your spirit bonus applies on Bluff and Heal checks. '''Spirit Bonus: '''You or members of your collective taken on an angelic appearance while under the effect of your ''energy adaptation ''or ''sustained flight ''powers. In addition to its superficial benefits, this effect grants the truespeech of angels, darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision, constant ''magic circle against evil ''and ''magic circle against good ''effects, resistance to acid and cold equal to your manifester level (or your manifester level + 10, if under the effects of ''energy adaptation), and immunity to petrification. '''Psionic Powers * 4th: Energy Adaptation – Your body converts energy to harmless light. * 5th: Psionic Revivify – Return the dead to life before the psyche leaves the corpse. * 6th: Sustained Flight ''– You fly at a speed of 40 feet and can hustle over long distances. '''Mac Dex, the March of Progress' Technological progress opens up new possibilities, expands horizons, even invites new dreams. Mac Dex is the reflection of all the passion that goes into attempting to create something new, all of the reaction to the new opportunities and all of the frustration and fear that come with change. Associated Events: 'World-changing inventions. '''Compulsion: '''Never stop an experiment, no matter how risky. '''Goal: '''Invent something new. '''Seance Bonus: '''Your spirit bonus applies on Knowledge (engineering) and Use Magic Device checks. '''Spirit Bonus: '''You gain a series of powerful devices. These are similar to magic items, but somehow they work even in places magic won’t, such as within an ''antimagic field. They require no special features or Use Magic Device check to operate. These items may be lent to others, but disappear if you end your contract with Mac Dex or die. * Atmospheric Waveform Spiral Driver: This device, similar to a wand, allows its wielder to use the following spells at will, with a caster level equal to your manifester level: arcane lock, arcane mark, dimensional anchor, knock, light, message, open/close, and prestidigitation. Activating this item is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, and does not require any knowledge of the spells or magical ability. * Gate Bolter: This device appears to be a strange, sleekly-designed crossbow of sorts. The gate bolter ''is treated as a light crossbow, except that it generates its own ectoplasmic ammunition, does not need to be reloaded, and deals no damage on a successful hit. Instead, an attack with it creates a small circular portal with a radius of 5 feet on any solid, flat surface large enough to contain it (such a surface has an AC of 5). When two portals have been created, they connect to create a gate, allowing creatures, objects, spell effects, and so on to pass through one portal and exit from the other. Persistent emanations and similar effects (such as auras), however, do not pass through these portals. If the ''gate bolter’s ''wielder creates a third portal, one of the existing portals of her choice winks out, and the remaining portal links with the new one. Though the ''gate bolter ''itself seems to be nonmagical and functions in an ''antimagic field, the portals themselves are supernatural in nature, and as such are suppressed by an antimagic field. Furthermore, they can be dispelled as if they were spell effects with a caster level equal to your manifester level. Portals created by the gate bolter cannot connect across planar boundaries. * Walker’s Cloth: This sheet of ectoplasmic cloth is soft, fairly warm, and reasonably absorbent. More importantly, however, it is somehow a universally-recognized status symbol. Intelligent and civilized creatures who are indifferent or friendly towards you improve one step in attitude (to friendly or helpful, respectively) when they first learn you have it, and everyone, even those hostile towards you, will respect you as a capable adventurer who knows exactly what he or she is doing. Even if you later lose it, that first impression will always remain. Summoning the cloth is a standard action. You can summon the cloth even if it is held by another creature or across a planar boundary. '''Psionic Powers * 4th: Quintessence ''– You collapse a bit of time into a physical substance. * '''5th:' Ectoplasmic Creation, Major ''– As ''ectoplasmic creation, plus stone and metal. * 6th: Temporal Acceleration – Your time frame accelerates for 1 round. Ratbagger, the End Source: '''April Augmented: 2018 The end of anything is a new beginning, a set of lessons learned for any who wish to find them. Whether it’s an eatery that ran out of time for its last and greatest guest, a planet that could have birthed heroes, or even an entire universe unwritten from the flows of causality, the greatest endings draw enough attention to power a zeitgeist which reaches back into history and pulls everything towards its inexorable end. '''Associated Events: Endings of all kinds. Compulsion: Any numbers you include in a joke must be in base 13. You may not explain this as it would ruin the joke. Goal: When a thing is finished, evaluate its worth. You must also describe your findings to any who ask. Seance Bonus: Your spirit bonus applies on appraise and knowledge (history) checks. Spirit Bonus: You gain a number of benefits related to endings: * Coup de Grace Proficiency: You gain proficiency with butchering axes and scythes. You treat sickles a shaving a ×4 critical hit damage multiplier. * Gift of Death: You can use guide the willing at will as a psi-like ability. * Quoth the Raven: You lose the ability to speak words,though you can still vocalize sounds—mostly high pitched, squeaky ones, though. In addition, you gain a raven familiar, as a wizard of your level, and it furthermore has the ability to speak for you. It will not say the word “nevermore,” however, and trying to force it to will agitate it immensely. Finally, this raven cannot die—if it would do so, it disappears instead, only to return in perfect health the next time you contract with Ratbagger, the End. * A Lifetime, No More, No Less: As a standard action,you can touch a creature. When that creature dies, no matter its actual cause of death, it counts as having died of old age. This effect is permanent, and can only be removed from the victim by means of wish, miracle, or other such mighty magics. * Final Harvest: You become immune to the disabled, dying, and unconscious conditions, and you are not staggered when using the Diehard feat if you have it. In addition, each time a creature within 30 feet of you dies, you gain an “ending,” which lasts for an hour or until expended. This includes yourself, if you die, and furthermore, when you die, you may continue to act—in no way inconvenienced by being dead—by expending an ending each round. If the cause of death destroyed your body, you gain the uncarnate feature of the psion uncarnate prestige class (but not the shed body ability that would allow you to become material, though if you have levels in psion incarnate, the shed body feature you already have does gain that feature). Once you run out of endings, unless you have been healed of whatever killed you, you die. If you stop drowning during this time—regardless of whether or not drowning was the cause of death—you immediately revive, at 0 hp. Psionic Powers: * 4th: Aura of Decay – Creatures in area are more susceptible to ghosts. Objects begin to rot. * 5th: Second Chance – Gain a reroll. * 6th: Ex Nihilo – You gain traits of a ghost. Slash, a Tear in Space A brutal, but sophisticated culture discovered a tear in reality. A jagged line, curving upwards almost in a smile. They built a temple around it, worshiped it, conquered far and wide in search of people to sacrifice to it. And were eventually driven mad by it. It was no god, just an impossible slice in the fabric of reality. But the savage zeitgeist borne of their intense fervor and faith certainly thinks itself a god. Associated Events: 'The sacrifice of intelligent beings for religious reasons. '''Compulsion: '''Do not show mercy. '''Goal: '''Sacrifice a member of your own race to Slash, as if it were a deity. '''Seance Bonus: '''Your spirit bonus applies on Bluff and Intimidate checks. '''Spirit Bonus: '''As a move action, you can form a warp blade—a weaponized tear in reality. This is a light weapon that deals 1d12 points of damage (for a Medium creature) and has a critical range of 20/×4, and has an enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls equal to your spirit bonus. You use your Charisma in place of your Strength (or Dexterity, if you have the Weapon Finesse or Deadly Agility feats) for attack and damage rolls with this weapon. If it leaves your hand, it dissipates entirely, and it cannot be broken. Your warp blade counts as any one type of weapon for the purposes of determining which effects and feats apply to its use, chosen each time it is formed. It is still a light weapon, no matter what weapon it counts as. Your warp blade always deals lethal damage that cannot be mitigated in any way; it automatically overcomes damage reduction and ignores hardness. If it damages a creature with regeneration, that creature’s regeneration is suppressed for one round. A creature slain with this weapon cannot be brought back to life except by ''miracle ''or ''wish. As a full-round action, you can expend your psionic focus and 15 power points to use the warp blade to slice an opening to another plane, as if by the planar travel option of the gate spell. This cannot replicate the calling creatures use of that spell. '''Psionic Powers * 4th: Aura Sight – Reveals creatures, objects, powers, or spells of selected alignment axis. * 5th: Pierce the Veils ''– See all things as they really are. * '''6th:' Aura Alteration – Repairs psyche or makes subject seem to be something it is not. Tessa, the Regal Administration The zeitgeist Tessa reflects an epic battle to save a world, in which an extremely powerful empath named Tessa played a pivotal role. In the end, it was less Tessa’s personal power, but rather more her ability to bring together and coordinate large numbers of heroes that saved the day. Associated Events: '''Saving the world. '''Compulsion: '''Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. '''Goal: '''Save the world. '''Seance Bonus: '''Your spirit bonus applies on Appraise and Sense Motive checks. '''Spirit Bonus: '''You can allow the members of your collective to be much more effective: by expending your psionic focus and 15 power points as a full-round action, you can allow a single member of your collective to immediately take a single standard action. '''Psionic Powers * 4th: Sense as One – You and another share extraordinary senses. * 5th: Metaconcert – Mental concert of two or more increases the total power of participants. * 6th: Technique as One – You and another share the use of one feat between you. Vinum Verum, the Altered Experience A zeitgeist that changes frequently—often enough in the middle of seances—it seems to tap into every person whose mind is in a chemically or magically altered state. It reflects the highs and hallucinations, the calms and depressions, the crashes and the addictions. Associated Events: '''Anyone voluntarily using chemical or magical mind-altering effects. '''Compulsion: '''When presented with an opportunity to apply a mind-affecting effect on yourself that you have not experienced before, you must do so at the first safe moment. '''Goal: '''Discover a new enjoyable mind-affecting effect. '''Seance Bonus: '''Your spirit bonus applies on Craft (alchemy) and Use Magic Device checks. '''Spirit Bonus: '''When you succeed at a saving throw against a non-harmless mind-affecting effect, you can choose to accept it anyway. If you do, the source of that effect is affected just the same as you are. '''Psionic Powers * 4th: Memory Modification ''– Changes 5 minutes of subject’s memories. * '''5th:' Shatter Mind Blank – Cancel target’s mind blank effect. * 6th: Barred Mind, Personal – You are immune to scrying and remote viewing and gain a bonus to mental effects. You No name can be associated with this zeitgeist, because in everyone’s mind its name is their own. Even when just talking about it, even without any connection to it, you will use your own name to refer to it but listeners will each hear their own. In seances, too, participants feel like they are talking to themselves. Its associations and compulsions imply there is something more, something sinister, to this zeitgeist than merely being a mirror, but it works very hard to make itself impossible to learn about. Associated Events: '''Well-known mysteries that still remain unsolved. '''Compulsion: '''Do not volunteer any personal information to anyone. '''Goal: '''Impersonate a world leader and issue a major decree, order, or ruling with international repercussions. '''Seance Bonus: '''Your spirit bonus applies on Bluff and Disguise checks. '''Spirit Bonus: '''You may change your physical appearance at will, to appear as any sort of creature within your size category and body plan (e.g. for a humanoid, no more limbs or heads than you have). This operates like ''disguise self ''except that it applies only to your body, can take on the appearances of other types so long as they look similar to you, and is a Psychometabolism effect rather than an illusion. Changing is a free action. You can use this ability to perfectly mimic members of your collective, as the link between you allows them to be subconsciously aware of what you are doing, and you to subconsciously read and mimic their reactions. You can even learn facts this way, if a situation prompts a reaction from the creature you are mimicking that involves that fact. If you use your ''major metamorphosis ''power, you can extend this ability to any creature of any type of body plan. You must use the ''major metamorphosis’s ''power to replicate any special abilities of the creature you wish to copy, which may mean your copy cannot be quite perfect. '''Psionic Powers * 4th: Control Body – Take rudimentary control of your foe’s limbs. * 5th: Prowess as One – You and another share the use of the highest base attack bonus between you. * 6th: Metamorphosis, Major – Radically change your physical form. Category:Source: Psionics Augmented: Occult Category:Source: April Augmented: 2018